The Champion

March 2014 , Page 11

Access to The Champion archive is restricted to NACDL members. However, this page and others deemed to serve the public interest - as opposed to a narrower benefit to the criminal defense profession - are left unprotected for access by all interested persons.

For nearly three years, NACDL’s Task Force on Restoration of Rights and Status After Conviction has examined how legal mechanisms for relief from the collateral consequences of conviction are actually working in state and federal systems. In May 2013, the task force completed a series of six hearings, held across the nation, where members heard testimony from key stakeholders concerned with collateral consequences and the relief mechanisms available to individuals with a conviction. The task force is now in the final stage of preparing a report that will identify the best practices that help facilitate the full restoration of rights and status of an individual following a conviction. The report will also provide policy recommendations that jurisdictions on the state and federal levels can implement to help ensure that individuals with convictions can be put on a path to secure the full restoration of their rights and status.

As part of this report and its rollout, the task force would like to include stories from individuals who have lost their rights as a result of a plea or a guilty verdict. The task force encourages NACDL members whose clients, former clients, or other relevant contacts might be interested in participating in this important project to forward a survey link to enable such persons to complete a short online survey documenting how they have been affected by the collateral consequences of a conviction. To complete the survey and learn more, visit http://www.nacdl.org/restorationsurvey/.